1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to pottery or ceramics and more particularly to the materials, techniques and methods for preparing decorative vitreous beads and products. The methods may be used by a large number of persons, both skilled and unskilled, young and old, in order to decorate ceramic architectural materials, ceramic ware of all kinds and other plastic materials which harden at ambient temperature. The methods include the step of adding colorants during the manufacture or mixing of the materials used to create the vitreous beads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 457,231 (Stevens) discloses a mold or box and a method for forming a face of plastic material from which artificial stone is to be made, to simulate the appearance of rough-hewn blocks of natural stone.
U.S. Pat. No. 610,776 (Thomson) discloses a tile having a body A made from opal or glass and at one side thereof, a paint product B to which are applied hard materials C. The materials C may be limestone or small pieces of granite, marble, feldspar, wood or other materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,856,096 (Carvel) discloses concrete wall sections and a method of forming same including a mold or box 1 in which is placed a layer of sand 2. Individual stones or other facing materials 3 are embedded in the sand, with portions thereof spaced apart by separating strips of rubber or other flexible material 4. Concrete 5 is poured into the box as illustrated in FIG. 2. After the concrete has set, the mold is removed from the concrete product (FIG. 3) to provide a concrete wall section with a layer of individual stones 3 at one side thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,334,307 (Bauer) relates to chinaware and pottery and more particularly to a method or process of incorporating brazed decorative designs on the surfaces of the pottery in an integral manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,871,132 (Hammel) relates to a glazing composition for structural clay products and the process for making same. Different color glazed batches are compounded, each consisting of clear glaze composition such as is set forth in Example 1 plus a glazed stain as an additive. The stains may be of different colors. Various firing temperatures and time periods are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,900 (Inklaar) discloses a method of manufacturing a decorated molded article from a powered thermoplastic material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,511 (Dillon) discloses a method of producing an ornamental concrete surface wherein particulate rock particles 16 are bonded to a concrete surface. The particles 16 may comprise any number of materials such as rock chips, wood chips, metal chips and regular and irregular configured particles of synthetic materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,677 (Lundbom) relates to a method of making candles including methods to decorate the candles with rocks or stones 13.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,938 (Engstrom et al) discloses a method for producing foam ceramic bodies, with the starting composition including natural minerals such as feldspar, glacial clay, quartz, diabase, nepheline syenite, kaolin, or mixtures thereof, for example, sand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,317 (Beard) relates to a method for making clayware and in particular to the use of flux such as feldspar, nepheline syenite and cornish stone. The various examples include the firing temperatures and time periods.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,731 (Mizutani et al) relates to a method for making an artificial stone including a method for method for manufacturing a colored frit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,888 (Sato) relates a method of making a concrete block having decorative stones 2 embedded in a surface thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,993 (Mintchenko et al) discloses a process for applying color to an article made of clay. The color can be applied to articles such as pottery, earthenware, figurines, ceramics, porcelains, china, tiles and decorative roofings.
A feature of the invention is to provide a decorative bead which has a hard, solid, substantially vitreous, unitary body comprises primarily of silica, and having a generally spherical form, with the largest dimension being in the range between xe2x85x9 inch to 2 inches.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a decorative bead which has long term durability when used externally in a severe freeze-thaw climate.
Still another feature of the present invention is to provide a decorative bead which is safe and is easy for persons of all ages and skill levels to utilize in order to decorate ceramic architectural materials, ceramic ware of all kinds and other plastic materials which harden at ambient temperature.
A further feature of the present invention is to provide a decorative bead which is brilliant, clear and has lasting colors when colorants are added to the materials of the bead.
A still further feature of the present invention is to provide decorative beads which have interesting shapes and configurations and have consistent quality over the firing range of from Cone 06 to Cone 5.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a decorative bead where the hardness of the unitary body is in the range of 5 to 6 on the Mohs"" Scale of Hardness.
Still another feature of the present invention is to provide decorative beads which can be easily applied in a large variety of clays, shale and bodies thereof.
A still further feature of the present invention is to provide a decorative bead wherein the body comprises by weight 35% to 70% of silica and the remaining ingredients by weight from 65% to 30% for a total of 100% taken from the group comprising potash, soda, calcia, strontia, alumunina, zinc oxide, boric oxide, zirconia, magnesia and potassium.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a decorative bead wherein one or more colorants are added to the silica body utilizing coloring oxides, carbonates or prepared stains.
A further feature of the present invention is to provide a method of making decorative vitreous beads comprising the steps of mixing together a batch of materials in powered state, comprising by weight 35% to 70% of silica and the remaining oxides by weight from 65% to 30% for a total of 100% taken from the group comprising potash, soda, calcia, stronia, alumunina, zinc oxide, boric oxide, zirconia, magnesia and potassium; placing the batch in a container and inserting the container into a kiln; subjecting the batch and the container to a first firing to increase overtime the temperature to be within a range from 1500xc2x0 F. to 2100xc2x0 F. thereby transforming the batch from the powdered state into a hardened state; and breaking the hardened batch into small hardened forms having their largest dimension in the range between xe2x85x9 inch to 2 inches.
A still further feature of the present invention is to provide a method where the hardened forms are embedded in a ceramic substrate and the ware is placed in the kiln; or the hardened forms are placed themselves on washed shelves of the kiln; and subjected to a firing to increase the temperature to a range of from 1825xc2x0 F. to 2200xc2x0 F., thereby bonding the hardened forms to the substrate in the case of ware, and in all cases transforming the beads into generally spherical forms.
Another feature of the present invention is provide a method of the aforementioned types wherein colorants are added to the batches prior to mixing of the minerals in the powered state.
A description of the preferred embodiments follow. It will be understood that these best mode description do not limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is identified in the claims appended hereto.